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Banana Cake Mix Muffins are the easy, bakery-style breakfast you can throw together with overripe bananas and one box of cake mix. I started making these on a rushed weekday morning when the bananas were too spotty to ignore, and Maddie now requests them in her lunchbox while Lizzie eats two before they even cool. They are as foolproof as our Apple Banana Oat Muffins.
Six simple ingredients, one bowl, and about ten minutes of hands-on time give you a dozen soft, moist, golden muffins that taste like you actually baked from scratch.
Banana Cake Mix Muffins Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 23 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 33 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 muffins
- ⚡ Calories: 258kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet banana and warm cinnamon with a tender, fluffy crumb
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, even simpler than our Banana Cream Cheese Muffins
Quick Answer
Whisk together 3 mashed overripe bananas, 2 eggs, 6 tablespoons of oil, vanilla, and a little cinnamon. Stir in one box of yellow cake mix just until combined, then divide the batter among 12 lined muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 23 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. That is it, bakery-style banana muffins from a box of cake mix.
Jump to:
- Banana Cake Mix Muffins Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Banana Cake Mix Muffins
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Banana Cake Mix Muffins FAQs
- Other Recommended Easy Muffin Recipes
- Easy Banana Cake Mix Muffins Recipe
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cake mix does the hard work. A box of yellow cake mix already has the flour, sugar, and leavening balanced, so you skip measuring half a dozen pantry staples.
- Overripe bananas add real flavor. The spottier the bananas, the sweeter and more banana-forward the muffins, plus they keep the crumb moist.
- Oil keeps them tender. Vegetable oil makes a softer, moister muffin than butter and keeps them fresh for days.
- A little cinnamon rounds it out. Just a touch of cinnamon turns plain cake mix into something that tastes homemade and cozy.
- Do not overmix. Stirring just until combined keeps the muffins light and fluffy instead of dense and tough.
- One bowl, no mixer. Everything comes together with a whisk in a single bowl, so cleanup is almost nothing.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Just 6 ingredients and one bowl, perfect for beginner bakers and busy mornings.
- A genius way to use up overripe bananas, just like our Banana Cream Cheese Muffins.
- They freeze beautifully, so you can stash a batch for grab-and-go breakfasts all week.
Key Ingredients
You only need six everyday ingredients to make these Banana Cake Mix Muffins, and the box of cake mix is the ultimate shortcut.
- Overripe Bananas: The browner and spottier, the better; they add natural sweetness and keep the muffins moist.
- Yellow Cake Mix: One standard box is the shortcut that replaces flour, sugar, and leavening in one scoop.
- Eggs: Bind the batter and help the muffins rise tall and fluffy.
- Vegetable Oil: Keeps the crumb soft and moist for days; melted butter works too.
- Cinnamon: Just a touch makes the muffins taste warm and homemade.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These Banana Cake Mix Muffins are easy to dress up depending on your mood.
- Add mix-ins: Fold in chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, or pecans for extra texture.
- Try a different cake mix: Spice cake or butter pecan mix both pair beautifully with banana.
- Make banana bread: Pour the batter into a loaf pan and bake about 45 minutes instead.
- Add a streusel top: A quick brown-sugar crumble makes them taste like a bakery muffin.
- Stuff them: Add a spoonful of cream cheese filling like our Banana Cream Cheese Muffins.
How to Make Banana Cake Mix Muffins
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin tin. In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, eggs, oil, vanilla, and cinnamon until smooth.
- Add the yellow cake mix to the wet ingredients and stir just until evenly blended. Do not overmix or the muffins will turn dense.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
- Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack and serve warm.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use the spottiest bananas you have. Brown, overripe bananas are sweeter and mash into the batter more smoothly.
- Do not overmix the batter. Stir just until the cake mix disappears to keep the muffins light and fluffy.
- Fill the cups three-quarters full. This gives you tall, domed muffin tops without overflowing.
- Check early. Ovens vary, so start testing with a toothpick at 20 minutes.
- Cool before storing. Let them cool completely so condensation does not make them soggy.
- Freeze for later. These freeze well for up to 3 months; just thaw or microwave for a quick breakfast.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These Banana Cake Mix Muffins are perfect warm from the oven with a smear of butter and a cup of coffee. They make an easy grab-and-go breakfast next to our Apple Banana Oat Muffins and Bakery Style Pistachio Muffins.
Pack them in lunchboxes, set them out for brunch, or add them to a weekend spread. They are right at home alongside Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls for a lazy Saturday morning.
When you want to keep the cake-mix shortcut going, try our Fudgy Brownies or a slice of Chocolate Espresso Cake for dessert.
Banana Cake Mix Muffins FAQs
Yellow cake mix is the classic choice because it lets the banana shine, but spice cake, butter pecan, and white cake mixes all work beautifully. Avoid anything with strong competing flavors like lemon unless that is the taste you are going for.
The riper the better. Look for bananas that are heavily speckled or even mostly brown. They mash easily and bring the most natural sweetness and banana flavor to the muffins.
The most common cause is overmixing. Stir the batter only until the cake mix is just combined. A few lumps are fine; overworking the batter develops gluten and makes the muffins heavy.
Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. Make sure they are fully cooled first so they do not get soggy.
Yes. Once cooled, freeze them in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or microwave a frozen muffin for about 30 seconds for a fast breakfast.
Absolutely. Pour the same batter into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. It makes one moist, easy banana bread loaf.
Craving another easy banana treat? Try our Banana Cream Cheese Muffins next.
Frost your muffins and cupcakes with this fluffy whipped cream cheese frosting.
For a higher protein dessert, try this easy cottage cheese cake.
Round out your bake sale with this easy gooey butter cake.
Got ripe bananas? Our Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins use them up in 20 minutes.
Easy Banana Cake Mix Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 medium overripe bananas mashed
- 2 large eggs
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 box yellow cake mix
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a muffin tin with cupcake liners spritzed with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, eggs, oil, vanilla, and cinnamon.3 medium overripe bananas, 2 large eggs, 6 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- To the batter, add the yellow cake mix. Mix the batter until evenly blended, but do not overmix.1 box yellow cake mix
- Divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups.
- Bake for 20 to 23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Place the muffin tin on a wire rack and cool slightly. Serve warm.
Notes
- Use an ice cream scoop for evenly sized muffins.
- Don’t overmix the batter to keep your muffins tender.
- Check muffins a few minutes early, as oven temperatures may vary.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Experiment with different cake mixes and mix-ins to find your favorite combo.
- Always use ripe bananas for the best flavor and moisture.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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Easy to make and delicious!
This makes more than 12 . muffins. I made 20.